The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks Read Free Book Online Page B

busier than ever. For the past dozen years her attention had shifted from raising Taylor to helping the town of Edenton itself, and she participated in every aspect of the community's life. She wrote her congressman and state legislators regularly and would walk from door to door collecting signatures for various petitions when she didn't think her voice was being heard. She was a member of the Edenton Historical Society, which raised funds to preserve the old homes in town; she went to every meeting of the town council with an opinion on what should be done. She taught Sunday school at the Episcopal church, cooked for every bake sale, and still worked at the library thirty hours a week. Her schedule didn't allow her to waste a lot of time, and once she made a decision, she followed it without turning back. Especially if she felt certain she was right.
    Though she didn't know Denise, she was a mother herself and understood fear when children were concerned. Taylor had been in precarious situations his entire life-indeed, he seemed to attract them, even at a young age. Judy knew the little boy must be absolutely terrified-and the mother . . . well, she was probably a basket case. Lord knows I was. She pulled on her raincoat, knowing with absolute certainty that the mother needed all the support she could get.
    The prospect of driving in the storm didn't frighten her; the thought didn't even enter her mind. A mother and son were in trouble.
    Even if Denise Holton didn't want to see her-or couldn't because of the injuries-Judy knew she wouldn't be able to sleep if she didn't let her know that people in the town cared about what was going on.

    Chapter 6
    At midnight the flare once again ignited in the evening sky, like the chiming of a clock.
    Kyle had been gone for nearly three hours.
    Taylor, meanwhile, was nearing the highway and was struck by how bright it seemed compared with the murky recesses he'd just emerged from. He also heard voices for the first time since he'd split up with the others . . . lots of voices, people calling to one another.
    Quickening his step, Taylor cleared the last of the trees and saw that more than a dozen extra vehicles had arrived-their headlights blazing with the originals. And there were more people as well. Not only had the other searchers returned, but they were now surrounded by those who'd heard about the search through the town grapevine and had come out to help. Even at a distance Taylor recognized most of them. Craig Sanborn, Rhett Little, Skip Hudson, Mike Cook, Bart Arthur, Mark Shelton . . . six or seven others as well. People who'd defied the storm, people who had to work the following day. People whom Denise had probably never met.
    Good people, he couldn't help but think.
    The mood, however, was gloomy. Those who'd been searching were soaking wet, covered with mud and scrapes, exhausted, and dejected. Like Taylor, they'd seen how dark and impenetrable it was out there. As Taylor approached them, they quieted. So did the new arrivals.
    Sergeant Huddle turned, his face illuminated by the flashlights. His cheek had a deep, fresh scratch, partially hidden by splattered mud. "So what's the news? Did you find something?"
    Taylor shook his head. "No, but I think I have an idea of which way he headed."
    "How do you know?"
    "I don't know for sure. It's just a guess, but I think he was moving to the southeast."
    Like everyone else, Sergeant Huddle knew of Taylor's reputation for tracking-they'd known each other since they were kids.
    "Why?"
    "Well, that's where we found the blanket, for one thing, and if he kept heading that way, the wind would be at his back. I don't think a little boy would try to fight the wind-I just think he'd go with it. The rain would hurt too much. And I think he'd want to keep the lightning at his back, too. His mother said he was afraid of lightning."
    Sergeant Huddle looked at him skeptically. "That's not much."
    "No," Taylor admitted, "it isn't. But I think it's